The matching process in e‐mentoring: a case study in luxury hotels

Purpose This paper seeks to examine the effectiveness of an innovative e‐mentoring programme introduced in an international group of luxury hotels. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs the survey method, with quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The research model was developed from a literature review. Findings While mentoring programmes have generally gained increasing popularity in various organisations, in the recent past the success of e‐mentoring has attracted little empirical research. E‐mentoring is a vehicle for providing a guided mentoring relationship over large distances, largely through e‐mail, but also by using technology, including the voice over internet protocol (VOIP). Questionnaires were administered to 193 mentors and mentees engaged in a pilot e‐mentoring programme. A unique model was developed and now needs to be applied to a range of organisations and their e‐mentoring programmes. There are three key elements to the model: first, the introduction of weighted criteria, which allows mentees to select those elements that are most important in the achievement of their personal learning objectives in the mentoring programme. Second, the mentee is encouraged to interview potential mentors before making a final choice. If global mentoring is to be successful, this interview will require web conferencing facilities so that the proposed matched pairs can also observe each another. The third aspect is the evaluation by both mentor and mentee at the end of the relationship in order to close the communications loop and to be able to assess the overall effectiveness of the matching practice and so encourage continuous development and enhancement of the process. Research limitations/implications The model should be further tested, applied and refined as necessary across a range of different organisations. Originality/value A novel and innovative model was developed from a literature review and tested in a large international group of luxury hotels. It will be of value to managers and HRD researchers.